Association Between Community Characteristics And Implementation Of Community Programmes And Policies Addressing Childhood Obesity: The Healthy Communities Study

BackgroundLittle is known about whether characteristics of communities are associated with differential implementation of community programmes and policies to promote physical activity and healthy eating. This study examines associations between community characteristics (e.g. region and race/ethnicity) and the intensity of community programmes and policies implemented to prevent childhood obesity. It explores whether community characteristics moderate the intensity of community efforts to prevent childhood obesity.ObjectiveMethodThe objective of this study is to investigate associations between community characteristics and the intensity of community policies and programmes to prevent childhood obesity documented in the Healthy Communities Study that engaged a diverse sample of US communities.Programmes and policies were documented in 130 communities across the USA, reporting over 9000 different community programmes and policies to prevent obesity among children ages 4-15. We examined associations between community characteristics and the intensity of community programmes and policies implemented (i.e. their amount and reach, duration and strength of change strategy).ConclusionCommunity characteristics explain 25% of the variability in the intensity of community programmes and policies implemented in communities. Particular characteristics - urbanicity, region, being a large county and the per cent of African-Americans in a community - contributed to more (over 18% of the 25%) of the observed variability.What is already known about this subject? Childhood obesity is a critical public health challenge facing communities in the United States. _ Community characteristics are associated with community health outcomes. _ Previous community- level interventions to reduce children's BMI have yielded modest and inconsistent outcomes. What this study adds? _ This study adds to our understanding of whether and how community characteristics are associated with differential implementation of community programmes and policies to address childhood obesity. _ Measurement of the intensity of community- level programmes and policies in a large and diverse sample of U. S. communities with different community characteristics.